• A new video interview with film
scholar Neil Sinyard (19:06)
• Original trailer presented by
Burt Lancaster (2:58)
• Marty (1953) The original
teleplay broadcast on NBC in 1953, also directed by Delbert
Mann and starring Rod Steiger in the title role (51:40)
• Archival interviews with
Delbert Mann and the cast of the original teleplay (Rod
Steiger, Nancy Marchand and Betsy Palmer) (5:44)

DVD

Bitrate:

1)Kino
Lorber-
Region 'A' -Blu-ray-TOP

2)Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray-BOTTOM

Description: "I've been looking for a girl every Saturday
night of my life," says Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine,
The Wild Bunch). Yet, despite all his efforts, this
34-year old Bronx butcher remains as shy and uncomfortable
around women today as on the day he was born. So when he
meets Clara (Betsy Blair), a lonely schoolteacher who's just
as smitten with him as he is with her, Marty's on top of the
world. But not everyone around him shares Marty's joy. And
when his friends and family continually find fault with
Clara, even Marty begins to question his newfound love -
until he discovers, in an extraordinary way, the strength
and courage to follow his heart. Winner of 4 Academy Awards®
including Best Picture, Best Director (Delbert Mann,
Separate Tables), Best Actor (Borgnine) and Best
Screenplay (Paddy Chayefsky,
Network).

***

A beloved classic of American cinema,
Delbert Mann's Marty was the first ever recipient of
the Palme d Or at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival, as well as
the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, one of
only two films to ever win both organisations grand prizes
(the second being Billy Wilder's The Lost Weekend).

I've been looking for a girl every Saturday night of my
life, says Marty Piletti (Ernest Borgnine, The Vikings, Violent Saturday). Yet,
despite all his efforts, this 34-year old Bronx butcher
remains as shy and uncomfortable around women today as on
the day he was born. So when he meets Clara (Betsy Blair, Il Grido), a lonely
schoolteacher who's just as smitten with him as he is with
her, Marty s on top of the world. But not everyone around
him shares his joy. And when his friends and family
continually find fault with Clara, even Marty begins to
question his newfound love... until he discovers, in an
extraordinary way, the strength and courage to follow his
heart.

Adapted from an earlier teleplay written by renowned
screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky (Network),
Eureka Classics is proud to present Marty in a special Dual
Format edition, that includes the film on Blu-ray for the
first time in the UK. The Special Features include the
aforementioned teleplay broadcast on NBC in 1953, also
directed by Delbert Mann and starring Rod Steiger in the
title role.

The Film:

Paddy Chayefsky's Oscar-winning slice-of-life drama is a
heartwarming story about Marty Pilletti (Ernest Borgnine),
a lonely Bronx butcher. Marty is a burly but gentle man,
easing into middle age without much hope for romance or
a career. He lives at home with his mother (Esther
Minciotti), a kind but life-smothering woman, and a
small circle of dead-end friends. Marty has no
self-confidence and feels he's dumpy and unattractive.
While it takes some doing, Marty's mother finally
convinces him to go to the Stardust Ballroom in
Manhattan, where he meets a plain-looking schoolteacher
named Clara (Betsy Blair), whose life appears to mirror
his own. He asks Clara to dance and soon they are
smitten with one another. But to Marty's surprise and
frustration, his friends put her down and his mother is
hostile to her. Swayed by his friends and his mother, he
doesn't call Clara back. But sitting at the bar with his
friends the next night, Marty decides he has had enough,
and defying his enclosed little world, he rushes to a
phone booth to call Clara. As Marty shouts to his
friends, "You don't like her. My mother don't like
her. She's a dog. And I'm a fat, ugly man. Well, all I
know is I had a good time last night ... You don't like
her? That's too bad!"

Sentimental tale of a butcher from the Bronx, afraid he is too
ugly to attract girls, who takes pity on a plain jane schoolteacher at a
dance, then finds love sidling up crabwise. Overrated at the time,
largely because its teleplay origins (by Paddy Chayefsky) brought a
veneer of naturalism and close-up intimacy to the Hollywood of the day.
But it does have doggy charm and a certain perceptiveness (the butcher's
continuing doubts as to what his mates will think; his mother's jealousy
despite constant nagging about marriage).

Image : NOTE:The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.

Firstly, Marty should have been transferred
widescreen (1.85:1). Bob Furmanek of the 3-D Film Archive
sent me an email stating "By the time MARTY hit theaters
in early 1956, 1.37:1 was a dead format" and you can see
proof
HERE (Thanks Bob!)

Marty on
Blu-ray
from Kino Lorber remains quite thick and film-like in the
incorrect 1.37:1 aspect ratio. There is some softness but I
don't believe this is the fault of the single-layered
transfer. It is most-likely inherent in the film. The
bitrate is supportive and the transfer has sequences that
look quite good with notable depth and the contrast layering
appearing pleasing. But it's a shade underwhelming visually
but I am pleased it is progressive and has reached
Blu-ray.
There are a few light scratches and occasional speckles but
nothing intrusive.

The
Eureka is still in the 1.37:1 format (see
Bob Furmanek's comment above) but while it looks the same in still
captures it is a more robust transfer (dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate) and
is superior in-motion. The
improvement will be dependant on your discerning eye and the
system you have... but the UK transfer is better.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Subtitle Sample - Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray

1)Kino
Lorber-
Region 'A' -Blu-ray-TOP

2)Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray-BOTTOM

1)Kino
Lorber-
Region 'A' -Blu-ray-TOP

2)Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray-BOTTOM

1)Kino
Lorber-
Region 'A' -Blu-ray-TOP

2)Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray-BOTTOM

Audio :

The audio is
transferred in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel at 1574 kbps. Dialogue is
consistent and clean and certainly benefits
from the lossless rendering - as does the soundtrack. Nothing is robust but the film itself
doesn't export anything dynamic. There are no subtitles offered
and m

Eureka go linear PCM
(24-bit) and it's a boost notable in the score by veteran Roy Webb (Journey
Into Fear, I Married a Witch,
Crossfire)
and the quality is clear and consistent with some minor depth. Eureka
offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'
Blu-ray
disc.

Extras :

Nothing but a trailer which seems really short-changing this lauded film

(the only winner of both Best Picture Oscar and Palme d'Or!).

Eureka add a new
19-minute video interview with film scholar Neil Sinyard discussing
Marty. Plus we get the 1953, 51-minute, Marty - the original
teleplay broadcast on NBC also directed by Delbert Mann and starring Rod
Steiger in the title role. There are 5-minutes of archival interviews
with Delbert Mann and the cast of the original teleplay (Rod Steiger,
Nancy Marchand and Betsy Palmer) and the original trailer presented by
Burt Lancaster. The package has a second disc DVD included.

Kino Lorber-
Region 'A' -Blu-ray

Eureka-
Region 'B' -Blu-ray

BOTTOM LINE:

Yes, the aspect ratio issues is important. And only a bare-bones
Blu-ray seems inadequate. The image and sound are passable but, I think,
fans were expecting more when this was originally
announced. A colossal film - which gets our endorsement -
but the package itself leave fans somewhat 'wanting'.

Eureka's
Blu-ray
bests the Kino on all fronts. Still a highly impacting,
heart-wrenching, film and great to have in the collection!